The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Novel Review from a Homeschool Mom
The first novel on my seventh grader's book list for the year is The Witch of Blackbird Pond. This classic is one I've been wanting to read for a while, and I'm looking forward to sharing about it here with you.
Below you will find more about the book, my thoughts, discussion questions, and enrichment ideas if you are interested in doing a little more with this novel in your homeschool.
I hope this information is helpful to you as you choose books for the readers in your home, or if you are hoping to enjoy it together as a family read aloud.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
by Elizabeth George Speare
Originally Published: 1958; Pages: 249; Genre: Historical Fiction; Newberry Medal Winner 1959
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
Quick Take
Don't let the title and dark cover fool you. This story is far from scary and will take you back in time to colonial America while sharing the ups and down of a young girl from Barbados trying to fit in to a new place with a very different lifestyle and belief system.
What It's About
Kat is a young girl from Barbados. She is raised by her grandfather, but when he passes away she must find other family to live with. This leads her to move to an American colony in the late 1600s, hoping to find her mother's sister that she has heard so much about.
Her aunt lives in a Puritan community in Connecticut where the lifestyle and beliefs are very different than what Kit grew up with and learned in Barbados. Kit has a hard time fitting in. Her differences lead others to judge her and mistreat her. She makes friends with a woman in the town that many believe to be a witch, and this friendship does not help her reputation.
Kit wrestles with what to do about her new friend and her future. The desire to stay true to herself is strong, but the eyes of the Puritans make her question everything.
My Thoughts
I avoided this book for so long because of the dark cover and the "witch". For some reason, I thought it would be scary and hoped to wait until my kids were a bit older. Boy, was I wrong! I wish I would have read this sooner. This novel is far from scary.
The focus is not witchcraft. The story revolves around a young girl, Kit, who moves to a new place and receives quite a bit of judgement for her words and actions. The Puritan community tends to criticize and shame anyone that doesn't do exactly as they do. As a result, Kit's differences get her into a bit of trouble.
There's so much character growth in this story, not only from Kit, but from her cousins as well as they make plans for their future.
We had multiple discussions about this time period, focusing on Colonial America, but also the Puritan beliefs. Are their actions right? How are their beliefs different from our own? Do they exemplify what God asks of us in the Bible? These deep, meaningful questions make this literature assignment so much more than just a novel to read from a book list.
There are multiple moving pieces to this story that made it fun to share predictions. I found myself wanting to read more and more to find out what would happen next.
Recommended Age
Independent Reading: 10+
Read Aloud: 8+
This book is a fun one for the whole family to enjoy. I don't think the content is inappropriate for anyone under 8, but I do think the story may go over their head a bit. The focus is about a teenage girl, so it may be hard for younger ones to connect with the story, or there might be a lack of interest. However, I do believe they could enjoy right alongside you as you read.
Independent reading age is a bit higher based on the vocabulary and the reading level of the text.
Content Guide
Nothing stands out to me as extremely necessary to give a heads up. There is no practice of witchcraft. The witch topics are more focused on accusation and judgement of others. There is mention of previous people accused of being witches and what happened to them.
The girls in the story are looking to get married soon, so they do talk a lot about looking for love and starting a life together with someone else.
Religion will be brought up multiple times because the story revolves around a Puritan community.
Mostly, the community is just extremely judgemental. Personally, my hot take is that their behavior is inappropriate in itself, but you may disagree. No matter your opinion, this will bring on great discussion with you and your family.
Thoughts from a Middle Schooler
When I asked my twelve-year-old about her opinion of the book she mentioned that it did start a little slow as you get to know the characters. Once that was developed she enjoyed following the ups and downs of the relationships that were forming.
She also mentioned it was very interesting to look deeper into the historical aspect of this story, learning more about witch trials during this time period.
Discussion Questions
Below are questions to carry on meaningful discussion related to this book. Use these to check in at the end of the book, talk over a meal, or enjoy conversation as you ride in the car.
- How is Kit's life different in Connnecticut than it was in Barbados?
- What about Kit makes people judge her so quickly?
- Do you think the Puritans are right to judge Hannah? Why or Why not?
- The Puritans are known to be a godly people. Do you think their words and actions show this to be true? Why or why not?
Picture Books
If you love adding picture books to your lessons, here are a few related to this story:
Three Young Pilgrims by Cheryl Harness - This book focuses on the arrival of the pilgrims, which would have taken place before the time period of this book, but it does a great job explaining why they came to America and what it was like building a life there.
Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl by Kate Waters
William Penn: Founder of Pennsylvania - This one is a little long (and not super engaging) but you will learn more about Quakers.
The Salem Witch Trials: An Unsolved Mystery of History by Jane Yolen - This will focus on witch trials and may be better for older ones. Preview first.
Enrichment
Make a blueberry corn-cake, one of Hannah's special cures!
Learn about Barbados - where is it? What is it like? Use an atlas or a find a helpful video on YouTube to learn more about where Kit is from.
More Novel Reviews
If you find these novel reviews helpful, be sure to join my email list. I will send out an email letting you know when we read and review more novels. I know how tricky it can be to monitor books and find a good fit for your family, so I hope sharing my reviews about these books can inspire you and help you as you plan in your own homeschool.
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